The Grapevine

Wine Industry News – 3/14/16

March 14th, 2016

Wine and the atomic bomb, more science, and the changing tastes of US wine consumers. [level-members]

Wine and The Atomic Bomb
Knowing I’m pretty far to the geeky side of the scale, maybe you all won’t find this as fascinating as I do, but apparently the wine we’re drinking today still has chemical fingerprints from the atomic bombs that were detonated in the 1940s. (Unless you’re drinking really old stuff.)

Known as the “bomb pulse,” this fingerprint is a a radioactive isotope of carbon and while it isn’t dangerous or carcinogenic, it is a reliable way to counter wine forgers. (We’ve been talking a lot about wine counterfeiters recentlly …) Read the full article here, even if you aren’t worried about fake wines.

Bye, Bye Sulfites
Are sulfites are their way out? Maybe, if researchers in Argentina are right. They believe they’ve found a way to replace the sulfites in wine.

Sulfites, which for the most part means sulfur dioxide (SO2), are added to wine as an antimicrobial and antioxidant. Not everyone tolerates them well, so eliminating them would be great news.

Even better news is that they’d be replaced with resveratrol, the magic potion that is often cited as a health benefit in drinking red wine and the reason the French can eat Brie to their hearts’ content with lower rates of heart disease than man other cultures, including the US. Read the full article here.

Hello, Rosé
What premium wine’s popularity is growing the fastest? What wines are the most expensive overall?

The subhead probably gave it away, but high-end rosé is growing at a shocking clip. And according to Wine-Searcher search data, it’s sparkling rosé leading the way.

Just as interesting is what varietals are most expensive – Sauvignon Blanc is second only to Pinot Noir, topping the ever-popular Cabernet Sauvignon. Read the full article for bottle-price averages and other interesting tid-bits of change for the wine world.

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